Modulation on the Square

Maxime Descombin was a sculptor recognized by his peers, whose work remains paradoxically both accessible to the public and little publicized. From the start, the artist chose to stay away from the limelight and the speculations of the art market, preferring discretion that contributed to his mystery despite his acknowledged importance in the art world.

A pioneer in several fields, Descombin made his mark on sculpture with the invention of "serial sculpture" around 1950. His talent also expressed itself through drawing, tapestry, colored glass slab reliefs renewing the art of stained glass, as well as in creating sets and costumes for the stage. His writings, often concise and impactful, reflect the depth of his thought and accompany his artistic approach. He embodied, in his own words, "a great living being," combining artistic rigor and a philosophy of existence.

His serial work is based on simple geometric forms, put under tension by relationships of opposition, inversion, inclusion, or connections. The "Modulations on the square" illustrate this approach: while the first pieces play on flat squares, from "modulation no. 3" onward, the fold of the square introduces a structure of inversion that propels the form into space and charges it with dynamism.